Clovis West’s Ally Clague emerges as offensive force and Girls Water Polo Player of the Year | The Fresno Bee

With former Clovis West High School standouts Sarah Snyder and Mary Brooks off to college careers, it was Ally Clague’s time to lead the most successful girls water polo program in Central Section history.

And the UC Davis-bound Clague answered the challenge for the Golden Eagles.

Clague blossomed into an offensive force as Snyder (now at UC Santa Barbara) and Brooks (UC Irvine) had been while leading Clovis West to a share of the Tri-River Athletic Conference title and a record-extending 13th section championship.

“It was a little scary – I’ve never had that kind of pressure on me,” Clague said. “But I didn’t buckle under it because I wanted to do well for everyone on my team.

SIGN UP

“In the past, I’d seen Mary and Sarah do it, and I drew inspiration from them. They just played the game rather than overthinking, and that was my downfall in the past.”

Clague delivered a team-leading 78 goals – including one in second-seeded Clovis West’s 9-7 victory over No. 1 and defending champion Clovis in the section Division I final – while contributing 38 assists, 44 steals and 68 ejections drawn for a Golden Eagles team that finished 21-10.

Clague is The Fresno Bee’s Player of the Year.

“She kind of came into her own this year,” Golden Eagles coach Scott Torosian said. “She was always someone I felt had potential to be (an offensive force.) She just really embraced the role of being a senior and wanting to win games for her team.”

Before her senior season, Clague played a complementary role offensively to Snyder (The Bee’s Outstanding Offensive Performer in 2015 and Player of the Year in 2014) and Brooks (Player of the Year in 2013) while focusing on being one of Clovis West’s top defenders.

Clague excelled at both ends of the pool this season, however, scoring through or dishing off from double- and triple-teaming offensively while playing shutdown defense when needed en route to being named the MVP of the TRAC.

“With girls water polo, you will find girls who play great defense but not offense,” Torosian said. “But she’s always been capable of playing great offense, too. She’s right there with Sarah Snyder or Mary Brooks. It just took her a little longer to get to that point in the game.”

The torch from Snyder, who graduated in 2016, to Clague was passed during Clovis West’s summer program, when Clague began to assert herself more offensively. Torosian said he didn’t have to say much to Clague – she understood the expectation to shoulder more of the load and knew she’d be the focal point of opposing defenses.

Clague, who took up water polo in the eighth grade after primarily being a basketball player, began to feel comfortable in her new role after a five-goal performance during an 8-7 overtime victory over rival Clovis on Oct. 10.

“That was a turning point in my season,” Clague said. “I was really nervous going into that game. They always have a strong team, and this year an exceptionally strong team. To be able to score like that and pull out a win, that was a confidence boost for myself and everyone on the team.”